Boris

So… The exams start to rear up their ugly head. Hm… Much has been said about the divergence between language schools and "the real world" (whatever that means). People tend to forget that proficiency standards can depend on fairly objective descriptors. By "objective" I mean "not subject to interpretation". Let's consider some examples:

Level	Descriptor	Example	Not good enough
B1	Hyponyms	Documentary	TV program
B1	Extreme adjectives	Filthy	Very dirty
B2	Expression of regret	I wish I had told you I regret not telling you	I’m sorry I didn’t tell you
C1	Use of idioms	I can’t make ends meet	I don’t earn enough money

However, reality is obstinate. Just yesterday I came across this video which recounts a story we’ve all heard a million times: poor immigrant makes it in America. I was particularly moved by this Russian craftsman, whose English is staggeringly simple despite having lived in the United States for the past forty years.

As you'll see he speaks with a thick accent and displays some of the symptoms of a learner who hasn’t made it past the elementary level. Yet he is obviously fluent and he can relay a message successfully. So... What is his actual competence in English? The answer is “who cares?” Boris is a charming man who can go about his business and lead a decent life in an English-speaking country. He does not appear to be the kind of person who can express his feelings with poetic accuracy. That said, we cannot help listening to his voice. The man that might not pass a basic language exam manages to grab our attention. Food for thought.